AMEX not accepted or surcharge

[wxxnxs]

M...
My Amex usage is roughly at 85-95%, only 5% for Visa/MC and another 5% for cash.

I'm vice versa.

 

[Diesellife]

Did you guys check out Chrisch's wiki site:?

Main Page - AMEX Merchant Information Wiki

It is quite useful if you want to maximise your points.

 

[zzyss]

Yeah, for me there's just always *something* stopping me from being able to use Amex.

Take insurance for example. NRMA stopped taking Amex late last year, after a brief period where there was a loophole in their phone billing system, but that got closed.

I tried switching, but the problem is that I have interests in both NSW and QLD, and the insurers that take Amex either (a) don't do business in both those states, or (b) more expensive than what I'm currently getting through NRMA with all the multipolicy and longevity discounts.

Energy retailers is another one - where I live there is no provider that takes Amex for Gas. Again, I get a better deal bundling gas and electricity so I really have zero incentive to unbundle if it's just for the points.

So yeah, it's mainly bills. Shopping is not the problem, because I can pick and choose the shops I go to.

 

[hummel]

FWIW, I signed with AAMI for my home insurance under their promotion (10pts/$1) so will keep all posted for when the points arrive

 

[wxxnxs]

Yeah, for me there's just always *something* stopping me from being able to use Amex.

Take insurance for example. NRMA stopped taking Amex late last year, after a brief period where there was a loophole in their phone billing system, but that got closed.

I tried switching, but the problem is that I have interests in both NSW and QLD, and the insurers that take Amex either (a) don't do business in both those states, or (b) more expensive than what I'm currently getting through NRMA with all the multipolicy and longevity discounts.

Energy retailers is another one - where I live there is no provider that takes Amex for Gas. Again, I get a better deal bundling gas and electricity so I really have zero incentive to unbundle if it's just for the points.

So yeah, it's mainly bills. Shopping is not the problem, because I can pick and choose the shops I go to.

Billing amount is always larger than groceries.

 

[hummel]

FWIW, I signed with AAMI for my home insurance under their promotion (10pts/$1) so will keep all posted for when the points arrive

Wow! Points have posted... 2 days! :shock:

Now just post my DSE points please

 

[zzyss]

Dammit! See there's seriously something conspiring to prevent me from using Amex! This morning I rang up to pay a claim against us (wife accidentally hit somebody else's car and it was cheaper just to pay it than to pay the excess to claim it). I asked if they took Amex, and they said yes. Gave them my card number and it wouldn't go through because of an "error". Asked whether they accept Amex, and she was adamant. Asked what the error was, and she just said "it wouldn't go through".

So I rang up Westpac, and they can't even see the transaction on their side. There's no blocks or any other problem with the card on their end.

$*&^

Billing amount is always larger than groceries.

Hence my previous post saying that my Amex usage is now even lower than it originally was, because the few billers who used to take Amex (NRMA and Medibank) have now stopped accepting it.

 

[aschmid]

I have been on and off with using AMEX as my main card for years. At the moment I am on again but really after a few months of that "we don't take AMEX" and "there is a surcharge for AMEX" I am about to be off again.

It's just a nuisance and I am annoyed I have to spend my own personal time researching places that take AMEX or don't surcharge. Don't get me wrong I like the card and it's benefits but not the transaction side of things.

On a side note it's micro chips on cards. Why can't AMEX put them on? I shop in supermarkets with self checkout. With my VISA I can put in my PIN, with my AMEX I have to wait for somebody to come around and verify my signature.

When I lived in the US for a while this was never a problem. A credit card is a credit card and nobody cares if it's VISA, MC, AMEX or whatever as long as you pay.

Why are our lives being made so difficult in Australia?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Did you guys check out Chrisch's wiki site:?

It is quite useful if you want to maximise your points.

Just thought I should let everybody know that I've moved the site to my new server, and while I was at it, I gave it a domain name (.info is surprisingly cheap!)

The new link is: http://www.amexmerchants.info ... the old address has been programmed to automatically redirect to the new one in the meantime, but that will be disabled in a few weeks

 

[Moopere]

Thanks for the good work ChrisCH. Now that I'm paying attention, or at least a lot more than previously, I'm starting to see the trend, small business no amex or a charge, big business will take your money any which way you want to give it to them.

Got disappointed twice in the last two days, both small time food operations. Excellent food, but either no amex or a charge. As your list grows it will become more and more useful I think.

Wonder if it would be easy to also identify those businesses which are supposedly partners with either Velocity, QFF or MR which should give extra points? Many of these businesses are small and have a tendency to weasel out of their obligations. I'm happy to push money at those who do the right thing.

 

[pointsjunkie]

Just thought I should let everybody know that I've moved the site to my new server, and while I was at it, I gave it a domain name (.info is surprisingly cheap!)

The new link is: http://www.amexmerchants.info ... the old address has been programmed to automatically redirect to the new one in the meantime, but that will be disabled in a few weeks

Good site Chris, very helpful - thanks!
I can't see any links on there to special Bonus Points offers, can you point (no pun intended!!) me in the right direction? I always seem to miss a lot of the great points offers!

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Thanks very much! I have a few Qantas, Velocity and/or CBA Awards partners listed, but I could always generate a few small logos to go next to any bonus merchants which would probably look better and save some space.

As for making any dedicated pages for bonus partners, it's probably not a good idea (for validity, currency of information etc etc)... although I could always make a page that links to that information on external sites

And back to the topic - it seems Woolworths are in the process of updating all of their EFTPOS terminals across all of their brands to allow PIN entry for Amex cards (making the self-serve checkouts much quicker) Also, I reported a particular payment machine in one of the Secure Parking sites in Brisbane that was refusing Amex cards (despite showing the logo on the screen, on the label attached to the machine, and Amex was also accepted on the other payment machines throughout that car park)... Amex personally tested all of the machines and identified the issue, and there are no longer any problems To top it all off, I received a personalised reply from one of their Merchant Services staff on the issue, and he even provided me with his contact information if I have any other questions or issues - quite a nice touch, and I'm impressed that they take the submissions seriously.

 

[lovestotravel]

I used my CBA Amex the other night at KMart self serve for a $7 purchase and it didn't ask me to sign anything! :?::?::?:

 

[Moopere]

I used my CBA Amex the other night at KMart self serve for a $7 purchase and it didn't ask me to sign anything! :?::?::?:

Its the same at McDonalds for purchases under about 20 bucks I think. You just swipe and go.

 

[hummel]

Just incase anyone was wondering...

Civic Compliance (i.e Victoria Police) don't except Amex for payment of speeding fines. That was one expensive Mothers Day :shock:

 

[sparoy]

My 2 local Red Lea Chicken shops have stopped taking Amex .

Have to get our chickens from Woolworth now to maximise the Wish card usage due to the DSmith promo.

 

[Chicken]

My 2 local Red Lea Chicken shops have stopped taking Amex .
Have to get our chickens from Woolworth now to maximise the Wish card usage due to the DSmith promo.

The only problem I found, is chooks at Coles (I would assume Woolies as well) are nearly 2x more expensive than Red Rea / butcher / Leonards.

I don't value my AmEx points at 2x the value of points I get from Citi

 

[Mal]

And back to the topic - it seems Woolworths are in the process of updating all of their EFTPOS terminals across all of their brands to allow PIN entry for Amex cards (making the self-serve checkouts much quicker) Also, I reported a particular payment machine in one of the Secure Parking sites in Brisbane that was refusing Amex cards (despite showing the logo on the screen, on the label attached to the machine, and Amex was also accepted on the other payment machines throughout that car park)... Amex personally tested all of the machines and identified the issue, and there are no longer any problems To top it all off, I received a personalised reply from one of their Merchant Services staff on the issue, and he even provided me with his contact information if I have any other questions or issues - quite a nice touch, and I'm impressed that they take the submissions seriously.

Wow, that is good service from Amex (Secure Parking issue).

Amex are moving to chipped cards late this year (October I believe), so they have a vested interest in ensuring that chipped Amex cards do work.

I presume at the same time they will offer PINS for Amex cards...

 

[KLN]

interesting about Secure Parking meters, for years on and off have had to park at Darling Harbour Convention Centre carpark, and many times Amex doesn't work at their machines. even at Palm Beach public carpark a couple of weeks ago. wouldn't work either. Visa worked fine.

 

[zzyss]

Its the same at McDonalds for purchases under about 20 bucks I think. You just swipe and go.

Got a leaflet last night saying that Coles are rolling out this new thing where purchases under $35 do not need to sign or PIN.